They are NOT us!
Despite Christine O'Donnell's recent advertisement claiming "I'm you," in fact the Teabaggers are NOTHING like the majority of the American voters!
From Daily Kos:
The first example of note is the notion that the Tea Party itself represents a significant segment of society. The truth is that there are just 11% of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Partiers. Only 24% say that a Tea Party affiliation would make them more likely to vote for a candidate, while 31% say it would make them less likely to give that candidate their vote.
Tea Party views on public figures are also outside the mainstream. Seventy-five percent have an unfavorable view of Obama (25% favorable), while the rest of us view Obama favorably by 58% (40% unfavorable). On Sarah Palin the Tea Partiers are 80% favorable (14% unfavorable), compared to 52% unfavorable (40% favorable) for the rest of the country.
Some things we already knew, or could reasonably guess, about the Tea Party were affirmed in the survey. They are overwhelmingly white: 80%, compared to 69% of the population at large. They are concentrated in the south with 43% of their numbers residing there. And they are glued to Fox News. While only 23% of Americans overall regard Fox as their most trusted news source (about the same as CNN and the broadcast networks), two and a half times that many (57%) Tea Partiers do. That's an even higher number than Republicans (48%) or Christian conservatives (39%).
The conclusion that is abundantly clear is that the Tea Party is a fringe cadre of extremists who have little in common with average Americans. So why do they get so much attention in the press? Well, partly because the press loves controversy, even if they have to invent it. And partly because the Republican Party is anxious to hitch its wagon to the Tea Party express in hopes of enhancing their electoral prospects.
But the main reason the Tea Party gets so much attention in the press is because they have their own press (i.e. Fox News, talk radio, etc.) that pours out their propaganda in a flood of fury, fear, and foreboding.
So despite the fact that Joe Miller wears a Pendleton shirt and gathers up moose antlers like he imagines real Alaskans must do, and Christine O'Donnell tells her neighbors in Delaware that, like them, she is NOT a witch, or Carl Paldino's asserts that he is just like all of the other New Yorkers who send racially insensitive and bestiality filled e-mails, these people really only represent a VERY small group of extreme individuals who are attempting to create the image that they are just like you and me.
They are not!
However if the people who ARE like them go to the voting booths in November, and the rest of us do not, then these are the individuals who will represent ALL of us.
We may laugh at them (God knows I do!), we may call into question their intelligence (Mice with human brains? Really?), but we must NOT doubt their determination to hijack our government and turn it back to a time when corporations could pollute to their hearts content, women did not have control over their reproductive organs, and the darkies knew their place.
If that does not sound like YOU then get off your lazy ass and vote your heart out for the candidate that DOES sound like you on November 2nd. Vote like your country depends on it. Because do you know what? It kinda does!
"So despite the fact that Joe Miller wears a Pendleton shirt and gathers up moose antlers like he imagines real Alaskans must do,"
ReplyDeleteLOL. Yup. Holy Cow!
They are rubes!
ReplyDeleteI have, from the begining of this teabagger movement, thought that most of these white, older supposed Christians, are racist and have the gang mentality. They would not have the guts to stand up and yell out their racist taunts about America electing an African American, without a hundred like minded (albeit narrow), shouting right along beside them. It's funny how teabaggers all of a sudden, got their panties in a bunch about spending and big government as soon as Obama was elected, but allowed the criminal Bush admin. to completely trash the U.S. constitution and it's laws without so much as a squeek. These people hide their racist tendencies behind the guise of Taxed Enough Already and the Nazi/Socialist/Marxist/Liberal/Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Obamacare, etc. They really are a pathetic group of CHINO's (Christian In Name Only).
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're not like the rest of us, but they are the perfect front for wealthy billionaires trying to steal even more of our money.
ReplyDeleteClowns to the left of me Jokers to the right...
ReplyDeleteWe have known for a long time that the Tea Party is in fact the Rocky monster (although not so toned or tanned) to the Dr. Frankenfurters of the RePubed parties creation and nowhere near the norm of the general public that is expected to vote in America this election cycle. However the numbers set forth in this poll show an even greater disparity to this norm than perhaps anyone of us could have imagined.
Gryphen is exactly spot on though in his summary that apathy on the part of the Americans with some sanity that remain will put the patients in charge of the mental house this fall.
Hopefully the monster the extreme right created will gnaw at its own masters throat long and hard enough to keep a Democratic majority in both House and Senate.
Vote Dammit.
I would like to shove this right up CNN's ARSE!!
ReplyDeleteI am soooo sick them saying that the teabaggers are a "movement" (a bowel movement) and how the Dem's are going to lose everything in Nov.
Even Katie Couric jumped on that band wagon the other day!
Yesterday Blitzer was talking about "when John Boehner is leader of the house" , that was MY 10 minutes of FOX lite for the day.
I love this part;
The conclusion that is abundantly clear is that the Tea Party is a fringe cadre of extremists who have little in common with average Americans. So why do they get so much attention in the press?
Well, partly because the press loves controversy,~~~~ even if they have to invent it. ~~~~~
While only 23% of Americans overall regard Fox as their most trusted news source (about the same as CNN and the broadcast networks), two and a half times that many (57%) Tea Partiers do. That's an even higher number than Republicans (48%) or Christian conservatives (39%).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Even if they have to invent it"...THAT'S exactly why Palin is in the news constantly!!
You will note that folks do not trust CNN any more than FOX or the networks.
And then they wonder WHY folks trust Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert more than the MSM
I'm from New Jersey and did not vote for Christi. However, when I asked most colleagues who also didn't want christi for governor if they were going to vote, the answer was "why bother". Big mistake staying home, and it's also what the gop is hoping we'd do.
ReplyDelete"Vote like your country depends on it. Because do you know what? It kinda does! "
ReplyDeletecouldn't a agree more
Great post.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I think the GOP chases the Tea Party members is simply because it is backed by the most money. The GOP hit hard times in the past 18 months until the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling. By then, though, the GOP had nuzzled-up to the money spigot that backers such as the Koch brothers had begun to turn on. Sure, other corporate sources were waiting in the wings, but the TP backers needed little convincing as long as the GOP embraced their agenda.
I suspect people such as Rove, McCain, McConnell and Boehner thought they could move everyone a bit to the center, enough to still appeal to electorate, but they found that Palin, Rand, McDonnell and the rest were refusing to play along. After all, they bought into their own PR, had drunk their own Koolaid or felt they were sent by God to save the nation. Surprise, GOP - too late.
I believe the TP may indeed be a fringe cadre of extremists, but I also believe they have the GOP by the short hairs and refuse to let go.
Excellent post - couldn't agree more (I'm from MA ffs!). Hopefully the Rally will inspire sane voters to use their voices.
ReplyDeleteT
Gryphen -
ReplyDeleteThe widely-respected Tom Friedman disagrees with you:
"The important Tea Party movement, which stretches from centrist Republicans to independents right through to centrist Democrats, understands this at a gut level and is looking for a leader with three characteristics. First, a patriot: a leader who is more interested in fighting for his country than his party. Second, a leader who persuades Americans that he or she actually has a plan not just to cut taxes or pump stimulus, but to do something much larger — to make America successful, thriving and respected again. And third, someone with the ability to lead in the face of uncertainty and not simply whine about how tough things are — a leader who believes his job is not to read the polls but to change the polls. "
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're not like the rest of us, but they are the perfect front for wealthy billionaires trying to steal even more of our money.
Teabaggin' started off as a rebellion by people who felt duped by the GOP; malcontent bible-thumpers, gun-owners, racist white country folk bypassed by the Bush tax cuts.
It wasn't that difficult to dupe these douches again!
Great, insightful comments on this thread as well as Gryph's post.
ReplyDeleteTea Baggers = Humans with Mice Brains
VOTE DEMOCRATS...LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT....BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES!!! Its early voting in Ohio...there is no reason not to vote. JUST DO IT!!
ReplyDeleteOT...have been trying to get on Mudflats all morning....what did Palin do...shut down free speech for this blogger? Is that what they will do to anyone who dares to speak the truth about them? Is that how they will mount a run for POTUS...force every on with an opinion that is not in accord with theirs to SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP? This information should spread around the internet. If they can get away with shutting down anyones blogging site....what are we in for after 11-2-10!!!!
I know we aren't like these people! Some of them meet in town (really about four people in a town of 8,000) and I can assure you they are not like any of us! They seem obsessive, mean and troubled.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteFor your viewing pleasure, I offer you the following link:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_4d7b1b9d-0799-59c7-a309-7c120948974e.html?mode=story
There will be a Tea Party rally this Saturday in our community park (within walking distance from my home) at which sheriff Joe Arpaio and Pinal County sheriff Paul Babeu will be guest speakers. If you want a laugh or two, click on the comments. While many are disturbing (the big discussion is whether to carry a gun to the event), I see more and more liberals showing up and letting them have it.
And, for comfort, MoveOn.org is organizing a counter rally. We'll be there!
9:53
ReplyDeleteI too have tried to get onto Mudflats all morning with no luck. First thing I thought was that the Palin's got to it. If they think this will stop people from talking about them, it won't. It will show them as the hypocritical, anti-free-speech unless it's me sham that they are.
Now I don't know for sure it's them, but it's funny that the Palin's name was the first I thought of when I couldn't pull up Mudflats. Gryph, have they tried this on you in the past?
My guess on not being able to get into Mudflats is so many people are trying to get on the site--this happened in the past with a few posts where everyone was trying to read at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThat said, hope she's ok, because the original site from the election still just has the update your link to the current site.
I can't get in Mudflats either...some kind of database error?
ReplyDeleteHope it's fixed soon!
A Anonymous concerning Mudflats
ReplyDelete...have been trying to get on Mudflats all morning....what did Palin do...shut down free speech for this blogger?
I just tried the Mudflats and after several minutes it finally came up and then when trying access another page I get:
"Error establishing a database connection"
I did notice on the main page their hit tracker map the have was almost solid red for the US and very Yellow over the rest of the world.
I dont know if this has anything to do with the fact they had the leaked email popularized but Huff Post last night or that in fact they may be experiencing a DDOS attack to their sever causing it to overload.
We will have to wait and see but it would not be unlike some of the rabid righty tighties to pay someone to DDOS them in retaliation for their slight against the good and pure sister Sarah... We have all seen how they flock to protect their killer queen as of late.
Vote! Vote! Vote! We get together with our grown kids and vote as a family, then get breakfast or dinner (depending on what time we vote). It's great fun!
ReplyDeleteI, too, am wondering what has happened to Mudflats. I've been trying for hours.
ReplyDeleteOMG< I almost starting to like Joe Miller, but just a little bit. The dude has balls -or should I say nads...what's the Palin word? Cajonies? Yeah, he's got them:
ReplyDeleteA day after internal emails leaked showing that Sarah Palin's political team, led by her husband Todd, was furious about Senate candidate Joe Miller's failure to endorse her hypothetical presidential ambitions, Miller was granted a chance to make amends.
But for the second time in a month, Miller offered something that will be interpreted as well short of enthusiasm for the prospect of a Palin run at the White House. Appearing on Fox News, the Tea Party backed candidate declined to answer a yes or no question as to whether Palin is qualified for the office of president. When he relented, it was with noticeable nuance.
"We know what qualified means don't we? We know we have a constitutional requirement for somebody that's going to run for president. Of course, she is qualified."
Just whom are you calling lazy? Don't paint us all with the same brush.
ReplyDeleteThe Mudflats "coup" on the grifters vs. miller emails is linked on every single site that I visit, so maybe there's too much traffic!
ReplyDeleteI just can't buy that the TP gang is 80% white. I think it's closer to 99%. Kimosabe.
ReplyDelete"The Tea Party", "The No-Nothing Party": it doesn't matter what name a movement gives itself, it's the socio-political points of detonation that create such parties which is the fundamental issue. Knowing squat about history, Gryphen, you are emblematic of the politically illiterate on the left who fail to see an analogue between America today and in the 1850's.
ReplyDeleteLet's take the "No-nothing" party in the 1840's and 1850's. It was a "fear-driven" party rallying to curb immigration. Sound familiar ? They eventually morphed into the "American Party" which attracted former "Whigs", democrats, and prohibitionists, ultimately ending the "second party system" while attracting many new converts. Again, sound familiar?
The No-nothings score major, unexpected wins in the election of 1856, setting the table for the Republican party in 1860 which only had to take a handful of states to end the democrats rule in American politics.
So, while you attempt to trivialize the "Tea Party", America has seen this before and the result was a one-term president in James Buchanon and the ascendency of the right.
Yuck it up, Gomer.
Jim, Tom Friedman is looking at what the TP would like to be IN THEORY. He needs to take a big step back and look at the big picture.
ReplyDeleteThat's not the reality, and it shows in the statistics of who the TP members are.
2:56, yeah because the world hasn't changed since 1860.
ReplyDeletedream on, gomer. or is that you, becky, with your magic "loose with the facts" chalkboard?
Me fav point to ponder yesterday came from Elisabeth Hassel-Beck,(who knew?)
ReplyDelete"The tea party are like bedbugs....blah,blah,blah.."
Turning up the heat seems to help, be on high alert while traveling.
*~marlys~